


Light and Shadow

by SamanthaRose (Drazyrohk)



Series: Sylthaniel [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Art Enthusiasm, Demons, Fantasy, Gen, Nephilim, Original Fiction, Original Universe, Simple Minded
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-11 12:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1173012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drazyrohk/pseuds/SamanthaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had been called a monster his entire existence, but this was his chance to finally belong. What he didn't understand was the price he had to pay to do so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light and Shadow

He had never been to a Gala grand opening.

In fact, he didn't even know what that meant. It had to do with a lot of people in very nice clothing drinking and 'chatting' about art... And he loved art.

Since he owned no fancy clothing of his own, and since his master's were much too small, he couldn't go to the Gala grand opening. He also didn't have one of the papers they had to give the people at the door so they could go in, so even if he did have fancy clothes, he still couldn't join those people in their chatting.

When the Gala grand opening was over and all the lights had dimmed, he chose to go see the art for himself. He didn't mind that it was dark inside... he could provide his own light.

The one thing he could have asked for was company. He had a best friend that appreciated art as much as he did, but this friend wasn't a 'night owl' as the saying went. He was content enough being there by himself, and he didn't completely understand the concept of being lonely... he just thought chatting was nice.

The exhibit had many lovely pieces, and while the paintings took up more room than the sculptures, he found them to be far less fascinating.

Sculptures were a new passion. He had made a few, none as fine as this, and he hoped to one day make a sculpture based on a living model.

Maybe Rayleigh. He found Rayleigh very pleasing to look at.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize he was no longer alone. Not until the visitor here to presumably enjoy the art as he did began screaming.

He worried that the screaming would draw the attention of the men with flashing lights on their cars and very loud voices, worried that they may think he was stealing, so he turned to the source to reassure it.

There was a young human, a male from the smell of it, standing with a flashlight in hand and his back against the wall. He stared in a wide eyed manner that was all too familiar, and when he noticed he had been noticed, he screamed that much louder.

"Pleasse." Holding out a hand to the human, he hoped to soothe frazzled nerves so they could go back to admiring art... maybe even chat about it together. "I am not here to ssteal these."

"What are you?!"

The shouted question was as familiar as the look that came before it. Not 'who' but 'what.'

He had been hearing it all his life.

"I am Romanos." He responded. "Romanos Chiaroscuro."

"C-chiaroscuro?" The human squeaked, trying to edge away now. "L-like-"

"The art term. Yess." Romanos didn't smile even though smiling was polite. He had been told his smile was frightening. "I wanted to see the art here. It iss very nice, yes?"

"N-n-nice." The human stammered, now trying to get into a locked side door. "The m-monster thinks art is nice."

"Monster." Romanos parroted, tilting his head to the side. "I am not a monster."

"Sure. That's what all monsters say." Abandoning the door, the human now tried a nearby window.

"Sstop. You'll bring otherss and they will make me leave. Pleasse. I simply want to enjoy the art." Romanos pleaded, the human turning to look at him. Reaching out, Romanos pushed some of his emotion into the boy, trying to make him understand.

The human jolted as though stricken, his eyes widening once more, but his expression told Romanos he had succeeded.

"You're... not a monster?" The human asked.

"No. I am Romanos. I am... a Celesstial. That is what you call uss."

"No offense," (this was a curious phrase since it almost always preceded something offensive,) "But you don't look anything like the Celestials I've seen before." The human wasn't smelling as frightened now, which made Romanos feel a little more at ease.

"I am... sspecial." He said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Unique amongst my people."

"Yeah, I bet." The human breathed. "I'm... I'm Kol."

Romanos smiled at his new friend, which didn't make him scream again,thankfully. "Would you like to chat about thiss gallery? Perhaps comment on what may be changed and what you would like to ssee?"

"Uh." was the answer Kol gave him, an answer that Romanos was still unclear of the meaning of. It seemed to signify many things, after all. "We're not supposed to be here. Maybe I should go and come back when it opens."

Romanos sighed slowly. It made sense. It was awfully late for a human. "I wish you luck, Kol. I cannot join you, but perhaps we can meet again. Somewhere we are allowed to be."

"And where's that? I mean, I don't see you being able to go out to many places."

Romanos knew he was right about that and felt no 'stinging' or pain of any sort inflicted by the words like many described feeling in situations such as this.

"I have a place in the park. There iss something I painted there. It is my own, but if you wish, Kol, we can sspeak about it." He said with a smile.

Kol gave him a look he recognized as well... apprehension.

"How do I know you won't eat me?" The human asked, Romanos blinking at him in horror.

"You are a persson. Not an animal. I have no desire to eat you." He stated, Kol looking highly relieved.

"Okay. Maybe tomorrow, noonish? At the park." Kol said, Romanos eagerly agreeing.

The park was no Gala grand opening, but it was just as good since his friend would be there with him.

…

…

…

Noon was harsh. The peak of the day was the hottest and brightest, and it was during this time that the shadows were the most complicated. It made it harder to hide.

Romanos sat quite eagerly near his work of art, waiting for many hours to share it... when Kol arrived, Romanos greeted him without words and elicited another scream.

There was a hint of something on Kol's face when Romanos stepped out, something mixed, something as complicated as noon's shadows.

Relief, yet disappointment.

"So, I'm not crazy." The human said. "I didn't imagine you."

"No." Romanos shook his head. "I exisst as surely as you do, Kol."

"I see that. Alright, where's your art?" More of the disappointment now, less of the relief. Romanos smiled briefly and gestured, prompting Kol to follow him. They passed the hanging moss that Romanos hid behind to watch people when his master was busy waging political and business related warfare, and they entered the shallow cave beyond.

Kol smelled frightened at first, but when they reached the wall that Romanos had been working on, all the fear turned into awe.

The only people he ever spoke to about his work appreciated it in a technical manner. His best friend Azracol was one, his master and his master's mate... Then there was Rayleigh, who had always been fascinated by his work.

This was the first time he had been with a person who appreciated it for its beauty. As Kol expressed his joy and awe, Romanos began to shine brightly.

Joy was often infectious.

"Is this your only piece?" Kol asked, Romanos tilting his head to the side.

"You wish to see others?" He asked, Kol slowly nodding. "There iss a place. A museum. They took ssome of my work many years ago."

"A museum?" Kol blinked and Romanos regarded him in silence. "Do... Celestials live a long time?"

"Yess. We are eternal. Like the ssun." Romanos gestured to the mouth of the cave, where light filtered through the hanging vegetation. "We are born of light."

"What kind of light were you born of?" Kol raised an eyebrow at him, a gesture of either confusion or something condescending.

"The light of Dawn. But I am unique, as I ssaid. My mother, for I wass born of a mother insstead of being drawn forth by my Lord's hands, was of Dawn." Romanos settled down on a nearby rock, gazing up at his carvings. The back wall of the cave was covered with depictions of life beyond this plane.

The Brink, the Fields of Light, the Palace of the Sun, and the battlefield at the edge of Shadow.

"I am known as the Eclipse." Romanos murmured, Kol making a soft noise. A thoughtful noise.

"That explains a lot." The human muttered.

"I am happy to be helpful. Iss there anything elsse I can help explain?" Romanos turned to look at the human.

"Yeah, show me more of your work."

They went when there weren't supposed to, but that was the easiest for Romanos. Even without his wings out, he couldn't pass for a normal person. Even when Rayleigh had taught him to make pale hair and yellow eyes, even with all the coaching the others had offered him...

The museum had security cameras, but Kol knew how to stop them. Kol let him open the doors and lead the way.

Romanos liked this museum. He liked seeing old things from many ages past, and he liked reading what people thought they should be. Many of the little cards describing the objects housed here were like storybooks, after all.

He found the first of his pieces in a long hallway, a mural he had painted on a banner swept from the walls of a castle. It pictured birds in flight. Kol thought it was beautiful.

The second was an urn set amongst many other pieces of pottery. This work featured an army of men descending up on a handful of dark figures... Lozorro. Romanos explained that he made it after watching how people in a once great shining city had hated the Lozorro enough to kill them on sight. Kol was confused and asked why, but Romanos couldn't tell him because he didn't quite know the answer.

They moved on to where the third piece was housed. This one, Romanos wished he could take away with him because it wasn't finished. It was a sculpture, a statue.

He had started it after his Lord's death.

A hand stretched out, holding in its palm an orb. A face, half formed in the rock, gazed out with sad and wise eyes, lips turned up in a smile. The symbol all the soldiers of the Sun wore as they went into battle was etched into the front of what was meant to be robes the unfinished figure was wearing.

The people who brought it here were kind enough to cut enough rock around what he had started that he could continue one day, if he had a chance.

"You're incredible, Romanos. You have so much talent." Kol said, eyes shining as he gazed at the statue. "You could make a lot of money, you know?"

"I have no need for it." Romanos said with a shrug. "Everything I need iss provided for me by my master."

"Yeah, but what if you could give back? What if you could make enough to provide for yourself?"

It was an interesting thought, one that had never occurred to him before. He loved creating art, he had just never thought of selling it. And if he sold it and made money, he could buy his own art gallery to put art in... he could buy fancy clothes and hold his own Gala grand opening!

Kol laughed softly, drawing his gaze.

"I can almost hear the gears in your head turning." The human said. "C'mon, Romanos. Why don't we make it happen? You and I could band together... you make the art-"

"I will do it." Romanos replied, looking back up at his statue. "I will need ssomewhere to work."

"I have a loft. C'mon, I'll show you."


End file.
